Dear Friends,

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!

I have recently became extremely interested in diabetes and I want to dedicate my time raising money to help research institutions, like the Diabetes Research Institution Foundation, Inc. to find a cure for diabetes. The reason that I have started to become an advocate for diabetes is because one of the members belonging to one of my favorite music groups has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes since November 16, 2005. Ever since this individual, Nick Jonas, was diagnosed with diabetes he has been trying to help other diabetic kids and has advised them to not be discouraged because they can lead a normal life despite their condition, just like he is able to. When I heard and read about Nick's story, I was truly inspired and wanted to help other diabetic kids in the world. I want other people to also be inspired and encouraged by Nick's personal story about his diabetes and help in the process of finding a cure for diabetes.  

To hear Nick Jonas's Diabetes story live you can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDQkejvNi5k or http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/dlife_media/tv/

Nick was also featured in the August 27, 2007 People Magazine issue. You can read the article here: http://www.diabetesresearch.org/NR/rdonlyres/0E78D94C-29F7-4098-80DD-A04894C84BBF/0/JonasPeople07.pdf 

The Jonas Brothers have written a new song most likely about Nick's diabetes called "A Little Bit Longer" that will be in their junior album released on July 7, 2008. Here are the lyrics:

Got the news today
But they said i had to stay
A little bit longer and i'd be fine
When i thought it'd all be done
When I thought it'd all been said
A little bit longer and I'll be fine.
But you don't know what you got 'til it's gone
And you don't know what it's like to feel so low
And everytime you smile or laugh you glow
You don't even know, know, know.
You don't even know.

All this time moves by
Still no reason why
A little bit longer and I'll be fine.
Waitin' on a cure
But none of them are sure
A little bit longer and I'll be fine
But you dont know what you got 'til it's gone
You dont know what its like to feel so low.
And everytime you smile or laugh you glow
You dont even know, know, know.
You dont even know, know, know.
You dont even know, no.

And you don't know what you got 'til it's gone.
Don't know what it's like to feel so low, yeah!
And everytime you smile or laugh you glow,
You dont even know! yeah! woah!

So I'll wait 'til kingdom come.
All the highs and lows are gone.
A little bit longer and I'll be fine.
I'll be...fine.

Information About Diabetes You May Not Know:

~Diabetes is not contagious because it is an autoimmune disease, where your immune system destroys your insulin-producing cells.

~Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes to develop in children or teenagers, thus is commonly referred to as juvenile diabetes.

~ In order for diabetic kids to stay alive, they must infuse insulin through pumps or inject insulin into their bodies on a daily basis and check their blood sugar level multiple times during one day.

~ Even if diabetic children inject themselves with insulin on a daily basis, their life span is still shortened by an average of 15 years.

~ More than 20 million Americans live with diabetes. Diabetes affects 246 million people worldwide.

~Every 10 seconds one person dies of diabetes. In the same 10 seconds two more people develop the disease.

~If type 1 diabetes is not treated it can lead to death. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, heart attack, amputation and kidney failure.

~Out of the 30,000 Americans that are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, over 13,000 of them are children. This is approximately 35 children everyday.

~Some symptons of type 1 diabetes are: increased thirst, rapid weight loss, extreme hunger, extreme weakness or fatigue, unusual irritability, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, itchy skin and unpleasant breath odor.

~By the year 2025, the number of people with diabetes will reach 380 million.

If you donate money through this website, you are helping many thousands of diabetic children in the world to lead a life without the complication of diabetes. By helping raise money for research, I believe that we can contribute to find a cure for diabetes. Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts. Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

For more information on how to get involved visit: http://www.diabetesresearch.org/Foundation/GetInvolved/

Thank you so much for your time and support!